Before you start

Passport, for a prepaid SIM
NIE and a Spanish bank account, for a contract
An unlocked or eSIM-capable handset
A Spanish address, for fibre installation

Step-by-step

1
Buy a prepaid SIM on your passport on arrival
Available at the airport, phone shops and supermarkets. Registration against your passport is required by law and takes a few minutes. A Spanish number in your first hour unlocks bank verification and appointment systems.
In personWho: YouDay 1
2
Wait for the NIE before taking a contract
Contract tariffs need a NIE and usually a Spanish IBAN for the direct debit. They are considerably better value than prepaid and typically bundle mobile with fibre, but there is no way to shortcut the identity requirement.
In personWho: You
3
Bundle fibre with mobile, which is how Spain prices it
Spanish operators price convergent bundles aggressively and mobile alone is poor value. Málaga's fibre coverage is very good and symmetric gigabit connections are ordinary, so the bundle is usually the right answer.
OnlineWho: You
4
Prioritise fibre if you work remotely — and verify it before signing a lease
The single most common remote-worker complaint here is discovering after moving that a specific flat has a poor connection or none at all, particularly in older buildings and in coastal developments built before fibre. Ask the landlord which operator is installed and, if you can, run a speed test at the viewing.
OnlineWho: YouBefore signing a lease
5
Consider the low-cost operators seriously
Virtual operators reselling the main networks are substantially cheaper and use the same masts. For a newcomer without a credit history they are also more willing to take a customer on a passport plus NIE without extensive checks.
OnlineWho: You
6
Keep your number when you switch
Portability between Spanish operators is a legal right, handled by the receiving operator within a short statutory period. Never cancel first — you lose the number.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport, for prepaid registration
NIE and Spanish IBAN, for a contract
Proof of address, for fibre

Things most newcomers don’t know

Spanish fibre is the quiet reason Málaga works as a remote-work base.

Spain has among the highest full-fibre coverage in Europe, well ahead of Germany or the UK, and symmetric gigabit connections are ordinary and cheap. Combined with the airport's connectivity and the climate, this is the actual infrastructure argument for the city — the beach is what people talk about, but the network is what makes the work possible.

Source: Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia

Verify the connection at the specific flat, not the city.

Coverage statistics are excellent and individual buildings are not. Older blocks in the historic centre and some coastal developments built before fibre have poor or absent service, and it can take weeks and the building community's agreement to change that. If your income depends on the connection, treat it as a viewing question rather than something to sort out afterwards.

Source: community-reported

There is no anonymous SIM in Spain, unlike the UK.

Every Spanish SIM must be registered against an identity document at activation. A passport is enough for prepaid, so this is not a barrier — but arriving expecting to buy one off a supermarket shelf and use it immediately, as in Britain, means an unexpected counter visit with documents in hand.

Source: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital

The NIE, not the money, is what gates a good tariff.

Contract plans are far better value than prepaid and almost always bundle fibre, but they require a NIE and usually a Spanish IBAN. There is no premium you can pay to skip this. Plan on several weeks of prepaid while the residency paperwork completes.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Signing a lease without verifying the actual connection at that address.
Expecting to buy an anonymous SIM as in the UK.
Signing a long contract before you have a NIE and being pushed onto a worse tariff.
Buying mobile alone when Spain prices convergent bundles far better.
Cancelling your old service before porting the number.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.